1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for converting an image into filtered electrical signals.
2. Related Background Art
Various demands are present in the field of image processing. Especially, filtering for removing noise or the like from image signals is important as a basic part of the processing. Filtering is performed, e.g., in the following manner. When an image is divided into pixel (picture element) arrays and the pixels are then read, a read value of a given pixel is calculated as a weighted average of a plurality of adjacent pixels, including the given pixel. In such filtering, an output signal from an image sensor is processed (i.e., repeated multiplications and additions) by software using a computer or special hardware. For this reason, when the number of pixels to be processed is large, the processing time is prolonged, or an expensive operational/processing unit must be used to increase the processing speed.